I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

199 – The Last War (1)

The fiercely roaring sword energy tore at the abyss of Kamigin.

It didn’t last long. My power was quickly lost as it was buried in the great darkness.

But the attack just now gave me confidence.

An abyss with no end?

That can’t be happening, right?

The abyss of Gamigin is only deceiving my senses.

There was a strange sense of discomfort in the sight of the black energy melting away and the sensation at my fingertips.

I don’t know the exact principle yet, but at least it wasn’t the power to implement ‘infinity’.

“I’m serious. I don’t know how you all see me, but at least I’m not the first Demon King to break promises.”

“Does that promise take precedence over Baal’s command?”

“… … .”

There were a few more exchanges of words.

Perhaps it was to give me a little more freedom. Sirien, who had cleared the battlefield, joined me.

The saint’s divinity drives away thick magic power.

My body felt quite light as the darkness that had been weighing me receded.

Thanks to that, the body that was swinging the sword gained elasticity.

I swung my greatsword with all my might, and Gamigin tore out the darkness around him and built a barrier.

The barrier was destroyed, but it could not reach Gamigin.

“It’s not a losing proposition for you either! Wouldn’t it be more reasonable for you to conserve your power rather than wasting your energy with me?”

“It’s a losing proposition. When that time comes, you and Baal will be beating us up from both sides. I have no interest in being a pig in a slaughterhouse.”

It was a proposal not even worth considering.

Because we are in a position where we have something to protect.

I have no intention of repeating what happened when I was young.

The current Grand Duchy of Illencia is not only our hometown, but also a place that promises a bright future.

If we leave Gamigin behind, the Grand Duchy will fall, and if we are tied down, Baal will come looking for us one day.

Gamigin said, as if he was going crazy.

His usually relaxed appearance was nowhere to be found, and his face was filled with fear.

“No one can beat Baal anyway! I told you. Baal is the only exception.”

“Haven’t you heard about who struck down Baal and threw him into the demon realm?”

“You can say that because you haven’t experienced it!”

No. I know full well that Baal will be a formidable opponent.

I couldn’t even be sure of victory over Barbatos, so Baal must be even more hopeless.

If a blunt god like Hybras himself is warning us, we can easily guess at his might.

Besides, the situation of our allies was not good.

While the demons are practically waging an all-out war, the empire is in a precarious state due to the Order of Order.

It is obvious that the North will be busy just putting out the fire that has fallen on its feet, and the kingdoms in the southern part of the continent do not have the same capacity as the Empire to begin with.

An optimistic prediction was impossible, as the Norden vacancy had not been resolved.

This is exactly the kind of situation where the royal family needs to step in… … Well.

Can the current emperor properly use the power of the center?

That old man will not be able to let go of this petty power struggle until the moment he dies.

A snicker burst out of my mouth.

“What are you talking about? Even when I was a little kid, I fought spiders the size of a house.”

“What, what? A spider?”

It doesn’t matter.

No matter how strong the enemy is. No matter how much our allies dig.

Since when have we only fought opponents we can beat?

The only ally I ever needed was Sirien.

If it’s a desperate situation, you’ve been through it several times already.

The day I was trapped in that cabin.

We, who were just kids, made the second in command of the Illencia Grand Duke our enemy.

Behind us, a pursuit party of former Rangers was chasing us, and we had to make our way through the Forgotten Forest as a child.

Sirien and I did not give up even when death was right before our eyes.

We will find the answer.

Somehow.

A geometric magic circle was secretly drawn in the abyss.

Some were destroyed by Sirien, some were not.

“Razen!”

“I know.”

I took the magic out of the sword, leaving only my will behind.

It seemed as if the ferocious sword energy had died down, but only a thick, ominous murderous intent remained on the blade.

A thinly drawn sword strike.

Gamigin quickly dodged, and the seemingly endless abyss split in two in an instant.

All the flying magic spells were cut off by the spell and scattered into the air.

“What was that just now… … what the hell?”

“What? We didn’t stop either.”

* * *

The demons swarmed across the northern front.

Although the advance was much earlier than expected, the battle situation was not so bad.

As the preparation period was long, we responded quickly.

But not everyone was like that.

The location of the Barondom of Isquente is slightly to the south, away from the front lines.

However, the northern front is a fairly long battlefield, and it is impossible to monitor the entire wide area.

Occasionally, a special force would infiltrate the rear and attack.

“It’s a wizard! The spire is under a spell!”

“Archer! Archer… … Damn it, give me that bow!”

“The gate is under attack! We should bring a cart!”

It’s rare, but not unprecedented.

When Sophia ran to the gate, everyone was ready and fighting with all their might.

A chaotic battlefield. Sophia grabbed a spear as if possessed among the weapons scattered around.

She hasn’t mastered swordsmanship yet. No, even if she had confidence in her sword, she wouldn’t have been able to fight against the demons with her small body.

On the other hand, if it was a window, it would have been possible to assist other men to some extent.

At that moment, Sophia was about to go out with her weapon.

A familiar voice from behind grabbed her shoulder.

“What is it, Sophia? Why are you here!”

“Uncle Jackson? Me too, me too… … I’ll fight! Just like Grandpa!”

“No! You’re a kid. What were those guys doing when you came in here?”

It was Mr. Jackson from the fruit shop.

No matter how much Sophia protested, the man did not listen to her at all.

He was a man who had always been kind to her. He grabbed Sophia’s wrist and left, as if there was absolutely no room for compromise.

The hand he held tightly seemed firm enough not to waver even when Sophia cried, screamed, and clung to him.

“Sir, it hurts, my wrist hurts!”

“… … Promise me that you will quietly join the refugee line.”

“You know, sir. I wanted to become a knight who protects the territory.”

“That’s what I’m saying. You’re not a knight yet. You still have a long way to go to achieve your dream. The day you have to fight doesn’t have to be today.”

Did saying you were sick have any effect?

Jackson let go of her hand in the empty street.

But he just released my wrist and folded his arms as if he had no intention of giving me a way out.

The moment when the girl who failed to achieve her goal was about to shed tears of resentment.

Sophia opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“Sir, back!”

“No matter what, I fell for that trick… … Ugh!”

The shield suddenly collapsed with a loud noise.

Where on earth did that come from?

One of the ashen-skinned demons immediately brandished his weapon.

He once fought on the battlefield.

Jackson fought desperately, but it was difficult to fight the elite demons one-on-one.

The days of being a seasoned mercenary are long gone.

Now his hands were much more accustomed to holding fruit than weapons.

His body was not as strong as it had been when he was young, and his steel-like stamina had long since disappeared and was showing its bare bones.

“It’s annoying. Get out.”

“Khuuuk!”

In the end, Jackson was left lying on the ground, battered and wounded.

Now that the enemy that was a threat has been neutralized, the next thing to do is face someone armed.

Naturally, the Demon’s next prey was Sophia.

Sophia’s spear was pointed at the demon tribe, but her fingertips were trembling.

Only then could I realize it.

How terrifying it is to face an enemy who is after you.

“Kid. Are you going to stab me with that spear?”

“Ha, I can do it… … I can do it!”

Surprisingly, it was Sophia who took the first step.

He opened the window wide as if trying to forget his fear.

And at that moment – a miracle happened.

For a moment, the world seemed to flash, and then the demon’s head exploded as if shattered.

The body that was trying to grab Sophia’s window suddenly collapsed.

Even before her window had reached it.

“Uh, huh?”

“… … Well done, Miss Sophia. I enjoyed seeing you fight bravely.”

“Hey, my lord? Blood. You’re bleeding! Are you hurt?”

“It’s too long to explain. Now, leave this to me, and Miss Sophia, please go to the refugees. They’re all looking for you.”

Sophia hesitated.

Baron Iskente stopped short of patting Sophia’s head.

It seemed like he saw blood on his hands.

She lifted her hooves without paying any attention.

A warm smile appeared on the Baron’s lips.

“I’ll check to see if there’s an empty seed spot among the knights next time. So for now, please evacuate.”

“What about your lord… …? Your lord is injured too.”

“Haha. I have to protect the territory. That’s my responsibility.”

The Baron straightened his clothes.

The clothes he was wearing were soaked with blood, and his complexion was pale.

But the Baron straightened his back proudly as if this was nothing.

“But don’t worry too much. I am the best in this territory. I will never give up, so come back when it is safe.”